El Nido - Palawan

Wikitravel:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Nido,_Palawan

El Nido Part 2

Transportation

Air

El Nido Airport also known as Lio Airport is the primary and sole airport serving the town of El Nido.

Roads

The main roads of El Nido are organized around a set of radial and circumferential roads that radiate and circle in and around the town proper and its rural barangays. Its interconnected roads are connected to the major highway that leads Puerto Princesa, Palawan's capital. Daily Buses and jeepneys depart at San Jose Terminal in Puerto Princesa for El Nido. Tricycles are used for short-distance trips around the town proper.

The 60 km national road between Taytay and El Nido was rehabilitated, and this has helped boost tourism and business activity in the area.

Seaports and piers

The main port in El Nido, which is under the jurisdiction of the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA), is located in Buena Suerte (Zone II), although a number of small and accessible wharfs, such as the San Fernando pier, are being used in other rural barangays. A number of ferry and other sea vessels owned by Atienza Shipping Lines and San Nicholas Shipping Lines have regular trips from Manila to El Nido.

Places of interest

From the towering marble cliffs and enchanting lagoons to its 100 white sandy beaches, lush jungle and mangrove forest, prehistoric caves and waterfalls, El Nido is one of the top tourist destinations in Palawan, which is often referred to as the "Philippines' Last Frontier". In the November–December 2007 issue of the National Geographic Traveler's magazine, Palawan was chosen as one of the best travel destinations in the world, and particularly, it recommended El Nido and the Calamianes Islands. In 2012, CNNGo, the travel news website of the international news agency Cable News Network, declared El Nido as the Philippines' Best Beach and Island destination.

Seven Commandos Beach

An isolated beach that is located on the mainland, but only accessible by water, due to the mountainous terrain.

Unlike most remote destinations in Bacuit Bay, there is a multi-story, high end resort here in addition to cottages and tent camping sites right on the beach. There are quite a number of small permanent structures throughout Seven Commandos. It is also a popular stop on island hopping tours.

Simizu Island

A small island surrounded by clear waters of El Nido, rock formations and a scene of towering mountains. A good place as a lunch area for Island Tour A.

Bacuit Bay

Bacuit Bay is dotted with islands and islets, most of which are inhabited. Its clear blue waters are teeming with marine life. It is home to dugongs, turtles, manta rays, species of fishes, coral reefs, and the occasional whale sharks. There are over 30 dive sites ranging in depth from six to more than thirty meters.

Cadlao Island

Cadlao is the largest island in El Nido, occupying a land area of 10.06 square kilometers. Among all islands, it is the closest to town proper and has the highest peak that towers up to 640 meters above sea level. It is known for its white sand beaches, gradually sloping sea floor, hidden lagoons, and nature trails through its lush forest cover. One of these nature trails leads to the charming saltwater Makaamo Lagoon. Surrounded by mangroves, the lagoon is best enjoyed in silence at sunrise or sunset when the birds feed.

There are a number of beaches on Cadlao, including that at Bocal Point, Natnat, and Paradise Beach on the southern side of the island. Sabang Beach in the north-east offers good snorkeling opportunities, though some visitors may recognize it as one of the settings for the Scandinavian TV show Robinson Expedisjonen, the predecessor to Survivor.

Dilumacad Island

Dilumacad Island has a beautiful white sand beach stretching to some 300 meters on its South Eastern side. There is an underwater tunnel at its northern side and a fringing reef on its southern end. The island is also called Helicopter Island because its limestone cliffs resemble the shape of a helicopter when it is viewed from a considerable distance. The island itself is small by land mass, but is rich in vegetation and has a thick, dense rainforest, along with some bare rock, that seems to rise directly out of the deep blue sea.

Pangulasian Island

Pangulasian has 750-metre (2,460 ft) wide stretch of powdery white beaches in El Nido, which is very ideal for sun bathing, sunset viewing, and other beach activities. The waters fronting the beach are clusters of coral reefs that make this area a good snorkeling and diving site. A trail located in the middle of the island is a good place for birdwatching, especially during early mornings and late afternoons. The trail ends at the peak of the island and provides and an excellent 360-degree view of the Bacuit Bay and nearby islands.

Vigan Island

Located near Pangulasian Island, Vigan is also referred to as "Snake Island," because of the fine natural sandspit (s-shaped sandbar) that "snakes" off it shores. The sandspit is clearly visible only when the tide is low. On both sides of the sandspit are shallow swimming areas.

Cudugnon Point

Cudugnon Point is an important anthropological site, where jewelry and pottery dating back to the Song dynasty (960-1279 CE) were yielded. The anthropologists believe that the cave dwellers were from Borneo, and travelled across the ancient land bridge that connected Palawan from Borneo. The crevices of its cave roof are inhabited by barn swallows and insectivorous bats.

Matinloc Island

Matinloc Island, the longest slim island in El Nido, has a secret beach, which is a pocket of white sand beach at the corner of a sinkhole, that is inaccessible by boat and surrounded by steep rock walls. To reach it, divers must swim underwater through a narrow crevice in a rock wall. At noon, the sun streams in through the opening, allowing a play of light and shadow against its limestone walls. The beach floor drops abruptly. According to local legend, this beach inspired Alex Garland's novel The Beach, which was written while the author was in El Nido.

Aside from the Secret Beach, the island is also famous for the Kulasa Beach, a 100-meter beach strip of fine white sand located at one of its coves. The sea floor surrounding the beach slopes gradually and the water deepens only after about 10 meters.

There are four dive sites around the island with the one at the south tip of Matinloc being the deepest at 39 meters.

Pinasil Island

Pinasil Island has a cathedral-like cavern accessible by dinghy and kayak. Its cool interior is lit at certain times of the day by sunlight coming through an opening at its peak. This one of important sites for the busyadors or the birds' nest gatherers.

Aberawan River

Aside from its several islands and beaches, tourists can also enjoy a mangrove tour along the Aberawan River where they can watch egrets roost among the mangrove trees at the mouth of the river.

Ille Cave

12,000 years ago, El Nido was inhabited already by humans. Archaeologists found human and animal bones, potteries and even traces of 8,000-year-old cremation at Ille Cave. Ille is located at New Ibajay, a 45-minute drive from the town center, and is frequented by tourists.

Población (El Nido town proper)

Nestled around the towering marble and limestone cliffs and green hills, the town proper is a thriving tourist center where most cottages, bars, and souvenir shops can be found.

Maremegmeg Beach (Las Cabanas)

Just one kilometer south of Corong Corong, Maremegmeg Beach is home to one of El Nido's very first resorts. Named Las Cabanas Resort, tourists began incorrectly referring to Maremegmeg as Las Cabanas Beach, and the name stuck. There is a zip-line between the coast and a nearby island that you can access via a footpath behind the beach.

Balay Tubay

A 90-year-old house turned into a bar along Calle Real where paintings and handicrafts of local artists are put on display. Every night, live music is performed there then. Originally owned by Sabas C. Robles, the grandfather of Judge Sabas Robles Acosta, father of Andrei Ustares Acosta - the Palawanologist.

Nacpan Beach

A 4-kilometre (2.5 mi) stretch of powdery white sand and pristine azure waters which is 45 minutes to an hour away from downtown El Nido via tricycle. This rocky peninsula offers signature views of the twin beaches after a short vertical hike up the trail, but the land was purchased by a private developer in 2016. The developer has plans to build a luxury resort on the grounds. Protests to the sale and the building have come in the form of squatters attempting to reclaim the land. The battle between these two parties has resulted in the property being watched 24 hours by an armed security guard. Nacpan beach is formally known by the villagers as Nagpan beach, later on it was named as Nacpan beach. Nacpan is located at Sitio Calitang, EL Nido, Palawan. 

Duli Beach

A surfing spot of El Nido. One of the mainland tour spots that may become more famous than Nacpan beach one day. It is a very safe surfing spot. Beautiful pure sands with good waves every September to March. During the summer season there are little to no waves. Nacpan has a similar wave pattern but less crowded than Duli.

Communication

There are no telephone lines that operate in El Nido. Resorts and other tourist facilities use satellite telephone systems, while majority of the population rely on cellular networks Smart Communications and Globe Telecom. There is a telegraph facility at the El Nido Post Office, and Wi-Fi and Internet access in a number of establishments.

Public services

The Población area is part of the service areas of electric utility, Palawan Electric Cooperative (PALECO), a division of the National Power Corporation operating with .423 megawatts of electricity. Other barangays use solar panels and electric generators. The island resorts generate their own electricity. Water services are accessible in protected water tables and facilities. Ten percent (10%) of the population can avail of the 'Level II Water System', or communal faucet, by the municipal government, while majority of them are still dependent on deep wells and natural springs. Internet services is available in few establishments with wireless broadband access.

Medical Facilities

The government-run Rural Health Unit, manned by a doctor and support medical staff, provides health services for the whole municipality. It is capable of providing health services such as minor surgeries, and diagnosis and treatment of common diseases. Patients requiring more complex medical services are either flown to Manila or Puerto Princesa from El Nido or taken to the Taytay District Hospital, which is about 55 kilometers away. Antipyretic, cold and cough medicines, and other over-the-counter medicines as well as a limited supply of prescription drugs are available in El Nido.

Security

In charge of the overall security of El Nido is the multi-sectoral security network composed of the Philippine Navy, Philippine Air Force, and Philippine Army under the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ Western Command in Puerto Princesa, the Philippine National Police Maritime, the Philippine Coastguard, the Provincial Government, the local government units, members of the local community, and the Palawan Tourism Council.

Being the closest municipality to the protected Malampaya gasfield, El Nido serves as the headquarters of the Philippine security force tasked to supplement the local security force already in place in El Nido. This special security force commands personnel, navy vessels, speedboats, and aircraft. The El Nido Resorts, being one of the top tourist destinations in Asia, also maintains an effective unit of security personnel duly licensed by the Philippine National Police Maritime They are in charge of monitoring the activities within the resort areas, as well as conducting day and night patrols and surveillance activities within the resorts and nearby islands.